The election at the city of Weston has two contested races on the ballot for next Tuesday, April 7.
There are two candidates on the ballot to be mayor and three candidates vying for the position of alderman in Ward 1.
The first candidate on the ballot for the mayor position is incumbent Cindy Seward. Seward is 52 and works with special programs such as HazMat. Seward was first elected as mayor in 2007 and had been on the planning and zoning board for six years.
Seward said she chose to run for reelection because there are a lot of projects started in the city that she would like to see completed.
“I want to start on the $3.2 million bond issue to update the water system,” said Seward. “We have economic development efforts underway.”
Seward said that if she is reelected she wants to look at updating a city plan created in 2002 and also look at ways to make the city more attractive to building more homes. She also wants to continue talks with the Platte County Parks department to make a portion of Bless Park into an off-leash dog park.
Seward said she thinks she is the best candidate because she is transparent in her actions and freely involves other people. She said the role of mayor is about managing and she has 25 years of experience managing.
The other candidate for the mayor position is Greg Hoffman, Ward 1 alderman. Hoffman is 31 and a master planner for Fort Leavenworth. Hoffman was first elected as alderman in 2005 and has been on the planning and zoning board and historic preservation board for six years.
Hoffman said that his last four years on the board of aldermen have given him the confidence to run for the seat.
“Weston is in an important stage right now with annexation and economic development it is a crucial time,” said Hoffman.
Hoffman said that if elected he plans to begin implementing a strategic plan from 2002 and begin prioritizing the recommendations. He said there are seven goals he has as a plan of action for being mayor.
The points of action are historic preservation, culture restoration, creating a capital improvement plan, emphasizing shopping locally, pursuing annexation, encouraging growth, and sustainability. More information is available at perfectweston.com
Hoffman said he thinks he is the best candidate because he has a thorough platform he is running on and is a “hometown guy” so he knows which parts of the city need to be preserved.
There are no incumbent candidates for the Ward 1 alderman seat. The three candidates for the position are Sharon Lyons, Tim Suarez, and C.R. Carter. The seat was previously held by Greg Hoffman.
Sharon Lyons is 66 and is retired. She has experience serving on the planning and zoning board in Weston and with the Weston Chamber of Commerce.
Lyons said she chose to run for election because she has the time and experience and likes participating in city government.
Some of the issues she plans to address if elected are to see new businesses encouraged and creating activities for families. Lyons said the city should also look at creating more outdoor activities such as mini-golf and a skateboard area.
Lyons said she thinks she is the best candidate for the position because of her experience and owning a business in Weston.
“I have a lot of dealings with ordinances and regulations so I have a good feeling for how city government works. I can hit the ground running,” said Lyons.
The second candidate on the ballot is Tim Suarez. Suarez is 52 and works at Aristocrat Motors. Suarez said his experience as a deacon at Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church has prepared him for the board.
Suarez said he chose to run for the board because he wants to serve the community and is his way of giving back.
Suarez said that his focus will be to make sure the downtown businesses continue to thrive and he wants to bring more events to the city.
“I think we have an abundance of natural resources and should overall keep the economy going,” said Suarez.
Suarez said he thinks he is the best candidate for the aldermen because he takes a no-nonsense common sense approach to issues. He said he will do what is best for the city by using common sense.
The third candidate on the ballot is C.R. Carter. Carter is 36 and is the materials operation manager at the Harley Davidson plant. Carter currently serves on several boards including the board for Weston Sports.
Carter said he chose to run for the board because after he finished college he wanted to step up and help and when Greg Hoffman wasn’t running again, Carter decided to run for alderman.
Carter said the current board has done a “phenomenal” job in the last years and he wants to continue the tradition if elected.
Carter said he thinks he is the best candidate because he will bring a fresh view to board and will bring an insight by having been born and raised in Weston.